The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative through its programme on resilient communities has expanded its humanitarian research programme in Nepal.

“Nepal is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. From glacial lake outburst floods in the north, exacerbated by warming temperatures, to flooding in the south, impacted by increased rainfall. Climate poses a direct threat to infrastructure, agriculture, health, and livelihoods,” said Vincenzo Bollettino, director of HHI resilient communities programme.

“Local communities will be at the forefront of this and it is important to explore how local actors are thinking about and preparing for climate-related impacts on their communities.”

Bollettino said the HHI programme in Nepal will focus on developing an evidence base on factors that contribute to local resilience and preparedness for climate change impacts.

A study by HHI finds that plans and policies at federal, provincial, and local levels are in place; however, there is a chance that the localisation plans and policies will remain more in theory than in practice due to gaps in funding and institutional setup.

The study suggests that research and training institutions can bridge the gap by bringing agencies together to share their knowledge, experiences, and learnings that can help disaster risk reduction programming in local communities.

HHI noted that the study only provides a quick overview of the most critical issues and challenges confronting disaster risk reduction management in Nepal and does not cover all aspects of disaster risk reduction in the country.